Two For Eternity - Ancient Babylon

The aspect of Ancient Babylon that I concentrated on in this section was the worship of Marduk and the religious and cultural impact of it. Marduk is an interesting character in Babylonian mythology. Although Anu was the principle god in the Babylonian pantheon, it was Marduk that became the patron of the city of Babylon at the rise of the Babylonian empire at the time of Hammurabi in the 18th century BC. Marduk was a warrior god. In Babylonian lore, Marduk challenges Tiamat, a dragon and leader of the Annunaki gods. Marduk defeats Tiamat in single combat, establishing his stature in the Babylonian pantheon.

I chose the time of Hammurabi in Two For Eternity, since that is when Babylon truly established itself as one of prominent cultural and political centers of the world. My main antagonist, Vrag, instead of playing the role of Hammurabi, is the high priest of Marduk in the city of Babylon. This role fits his character. Instead of being the front man, Vrag is usually behind the scenes, controlling things, manipulating people and drawing true power. I embelish the use of human sacrifice in Babylonian culture, but it fit the story and hey, this is a work of fiction. Raiken, my main protagonist flees Kush after assassinating the Kushite queen. He saves a Babylonian girl and her brother from marauders only to have her given up for human sacrifice. When Raiken goes to save her, it pits him once again against his ancient enemy Vrag in the city of Babylon.

You can read more about this in Two For Eternity, due out November 1st.